As assignments are piling up and stress is getting to everyone, thinking of the silver lining of Thanksgiving Break looms in the distance. A time to recharge, eat some good food, and get those Black Friday sales (online of course) is just what we all need right about now. And since the pandemic is spiking again people are going to need to find something to do while not going out. So, since I've watched an unhealthy amount of television I thought I'd compile a list of some of my favorite Netflix shows that you can binge over break!
1. "Derry Girls"
This Netflix original is one that I've talked about before, but it's definitely one of my favorites. It takes place in the 1990s in Northern Ireland during the height of the political conflict otherwise known as "The Troubles." The series is just two seasons so far with episodes being roughly a half-an-hour long. The series follows five teenage friends and them navigating their teen lives. The show is funny but also weaves in those series aspects of the time period. Definitely a must-watch.
2. "Never Have I Ever"
This is also a Netflix original and a comedy that is a great mood-booster. This comedy focuses on the main character, Devi as she enters her sophomore year of high school. This comedy was fresh, fun, and also did a fantastic job of integrating emotional aspects into the show. There is only one season out so far (but season two is coming!) and all of the episodes are also roughly a half-an-hour. You'll fly right through it.
3. "Schitt's Creek"
This series has easily become one of my all-time favorites and is definitely a comfort show. It follows the Rose family as they fall from their social standing and go to live in a town called Schitt's Creek, a town that Johnny, the father, bought as a joke years ago. Johnny, his wife Moira, and their two children, David and Alexis all relocate to a run-down motel. This comedy is six seasons and half-an-hour episodes.
4. "All American"
This series is a sports drama inspired by the life of football player Spencer Paysinger. The series deals with heavy topics and doesn't shy away from showing harsh realities of life like addiction, mental illness, death, gang violence, and police brutality. There are two seasons out with the episodes around forty-five minutes each.
5. "The Last Czars"
This is another Netflix original and it follows Czar Nicholas II and the fall of the Russian monarchy and the events leading up to the Russian Revolution. This mini-series is both drama and documentary based. The series does a fantastic job of combining both of these aspects to paint a clearer picture of what happened and why it happened. There are only six episodes and roughly forty-five minutes each. A must watch for any history buff.
6. "The Good Place"
This completed series is a comedy about where you go after you die. It follows Eleanor Shellstrop after her untimely death. She has entered The Good Place, which is utopian-like. Soon, Eleanor realizes that she was sent here by mistake and that she really belongs in The Bad Place. The show focuses on Eleanor trying to keep this secret and having her friends help her along the way. The show is comprised of half-an-hour episodes and four seasons. Hands down one of the best shows to watch when you're feeling down.
7. "The Haunting of Bly Manor"
If you're someone that enjoys the supernatural or horror, then this show is right up your alley. The series is a follow-up to The Haunting of Hill House (also on Netflix), but you don't have to watch Hill House before Bly Manor. It follows a governess in the 1980s who is hired to look after a man's niece and nephew after their parents died. Creepy things begin to happen and a haunting that will certainly leave you creeped out is shown in pieces. It's one season with around forty-five-minute episodes
8. "YOU"
Another creepy Netflix original! This series follows Joe Goldberg and his search for love — and by search for love, I mean stalking women until "fate" brings them together. The show is two seasons with roughly forty-five-minute episodes and will leave you feeling creeped out. It puts you in the head of a stalker and serial killer. You see the way he rationalizes his actions and see just how frightening the character of Joe truly is.